Friday, February 27, 2015

Understanding the Paradoxes of Life

Where are all the college students? A priest begins his article in a diocesan bulletin with this lament. He remembers working with the youth
back in the last years of the 70s and the early years of the 80s:
busy giving retreats, workshops and going to the different colleges for
Masses and involved in many programs for the students. From those years
we have many who are now ministering in the Church and are leaders in
society. What happened? Except for a few parishes the
college students are no longer seen in the parochial communities. At one
time there was even talk of having a parish just for the youth of the
diocese. Those days have past. He wants the Church to consider work with
the youth as a primary concern. They are the future of the Church and
of society.However, we have those who do not see the
young people alienated from the church but rather looking for
spirituality outside of the parish setting. Many college students prefer to associate with their fellow students in a college
environment, in Catholic prayer groups, student groups, diocesan
programs located where they are. Students in the West
have shown signs of alienation from the Church which is not as
pronounced in Korea. The culture is still very protective, and
traditional morality still influences much of society. Just recently,
the courts decriminalized adultery. We are not dealing with young people that
have opted for the ways of the West. The students are acquainted with
the West but many accept the traditional ways; a youth subculture,however, does exist.

Many
are searching for a mature spirituality. Pope Francis in his talk to
the 6000 young Catholics from 23 nations last year
warned about the "spiritual cancer" of materialism from the affluent
countries. "We see signs of an idolatry of wealth, power and pleasure
which come at a high cost to human lives." Korea has shown signs
of needing a different spirituality from the one received. There is an
emptiness and despair that shows in the number of suicides and as a world
leader in cosmetic surgery. When the newly baptized
are asked why they have become Catholics the majority answer to find
peace. It is true that a mature faith life will bring great joy and
peace but it is not the response desired: a guarantee we are not
prepared to walk in the way of Jesus, but to satisfy our needs. Peace and happiness are the results, the consequences,
a by-product of the life we live, and not the aim of our life.Explaining
this is far from easy. Ignoring the search for authenticity: the true,
good and beautiful and expect peace and happiness is not going to do
it. The search for spirituality is a sign that this is understood even
though unconsciously. Emptiness is experienced and with the young and
old alike the stress on the paradoxes of Christianity, which they also
have in their own religious heritage, is a need in our educational
programs.